


Do No Harm

by ScarfyTheShipster



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Character Study, Fluff, Gen, Gen Work, Humor, Pre-Canon, Short & Sweet, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-21
Updated: 2018-11-21
Packaged: 2019-08-27 02:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16693567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarfyTheShipster/pseuds/ScarfyTheShipster
Summary: Julian’s Dream Within a Dream chapter touched my heart, especially with the nightmare of standing over Lucio with a knife, debating on if he’s a killer.Here’s a memory from the past.





	Do No Harm

Lucio was getting sicker by the day.

Julian stood by Lucio’s bed with a glass of water, one arm helping Lucio sit up. Lucio had his usual scowl, pissed off that the plague would dare infect him. He gave a weak cough but allowed Julian to give him sips of water. Julian gingerly poured the water into Lucio’s mouth and winced when a bit spilled, hurriedly catching the drops with his own sleeve. “Sorry!”

Lucio groaned, eyes closing as he fully sank into his nest of pillows. “Trying to drown me, Jules?” It was a testament to how tired Lucio was that his voice was barely above a whisper even as he tried to snarl. His eye sockets were reddened as if his infected eyes were bleeding into his skin. His complexion was deathly white with bright splotches of heat where his system was desperately trying to fight his disease. “Ugh, I’m so over this.”

“You’re holding up as best as I could hope.” It was grim, but Julian genuinely hadn’t seen anyone survive with the plague as long as Lucio had. “Do you need anything else?”

Lucio flung his hand over his face. “Why is it so cold in here? I can see your breath!”

The room was in fact warmed by a fireplace and Julian had long taken his coat and cape off but he rushed to get Lucio another fur blanket. “There’s another blanket in here somewhere, I-“

“Hey. Hey!” Lucio demanded Julian’s attention the second his back was turned. He pointed to a dagger on the floor that Asra had bumped off its display earlier in the day. “Pick that up, unless you’re plotting to put me out of my misery!”

Julian froze. He gingerly picked up the polished ornate weapon, the blade still kept as sharp as when it had seen use. He looked at Lucio as Lucio glared at him. “Lucio? I’m a doctor.”

“Oh please, like you haven’t thought about it,” Lucio mused. Something dark crossed his face and he was silent for a moment. Julian realized he was witnessing Lucio thinking and stayed quiet to savor it. “I- listen, Jules. When I was eighteen, well- you’re a sweet kid. Nothing like me.”

Julian blinked. “Huh?”

Lucio looked like he was on the verge of saying something profound and abruptly turned his head. “You’re gonna get your ass killed being that nice, Jules.”

Julian put the dagger away and gathered up a soft fur blanket. “I’d never hurt a patient of mine.” Julian draped the heavy fur over Lucio’s shivering body. The more he looked at how ill and sickly frail Lucio was, the stronger the conviction in his chest. Whatever Julian was, it wasn’t someone who would hurt someone so helpless. “I saved your life, Lucio. I took an oath to do no harm, and I would never break that no matter how annoying my patients.” He carefully tucked the blanket around Lucio. “I have many faults, but my kindness will never be one of them.”

Lucio sighed, tension draining from his shoulders. Julian realized with a start that Lucio had been prepared for Julian to hurt him. His eyes were half closed and his face was overheated again. “You’re cute.” He patted the bed and Mercedes and Melchior rushed in, tails wagging as they ignored Julian for once and jumped on the bed to cuddle Lucio. “Jules?”

Julian blinked. In a way, he’d never seen Lucio be kind enough to not have the dogs at least try to jump at his face or knock him over. “Yes, Lucio?”

Lucio was dangerously close to treating Julian like a person deserving of respect. Julian blamed the latest batch of medicine as Lucio winked at him. “Unless you’re gonna give me a kiss goodnight, get the hell out of my room.”

Julian coughed and hurriedly took his leave to Lucio’s raspy laughter. He wondered as he made his way down the hall and crossed the moonlit gardens to his clinic if some part of Lucio was self aware after all, and if he’d ever regret sparing him. He shook his head. 

“I’m not a murderer,” Juliam murmured to himself, as if he had to reassure himself. He sighed as he opened the door of his clinic to see his Apprentice sleeping curled up with Brundle and smiled warmly.

Life was too precious to waste.

**Author's Note:**

> This update was so good you guys, I love seeing Julian develop so much I had to write a little 
> 
> Find me at StressBakingElf on tumblr!


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